Revealed: The Average Brit Is Stressed For Nine Solid Days Each Month
Whilst this survey concentrates on respondents in Britain, the results contain a lot of information and advice from people situated around the world. So, if you’re feeling stressed then it’s good to realise you’re not alone, that others are feeling the same way you are and that there is a way out.
A survey has been conducted shining a light on how us Brits feel – and it’s not looking too good I’m afraid!
- 54% admit they worry about the impact stress has on their health and wellbeing
- Money is the most common cause of stress
- 32% of UK adults exercise to relieve their stress
If you’re starting to feel that life has been getting a little too much lately, you’re not the only one. A new study* carried out on behalf of biomarker tracking specialists Forth With Life has revealed some telling data regarding our country’s relationship with stress, and how we as individuals deal with it throughout our day to day lives.
Forth With Life, the health tracking service that monitors the status of your inside health by analysing key biomarkers for wellbeing through the use of home blood samples, interviewed 2,000 UK adults.
Most Of Us Are Stressed At Some Point – So Don’t Feel Bad
The results highlighted that 37% of those that took part in the research admitted that they felt stressed at least one day each week – a figure that equates to around four days a month spent struggling to cope.
Adding this result to data generated by the rest of the study group, it was discovered that the number of stressful days typically experienced by a British person comes to a startling average of nine each month.
The same individuals were also asked how they felt about the levels of stress they were experiencing. Approximately one third agreed that their day to day life was too stressful for comfort. Over half of the overall group were also concerned about the effect that the stress they experienced might have on their general health.
Stress Has A Variety Of Factors But Money Is Most Common
According to the study, the most common cause of stress is money. After finances, the remainder of the top five issues included work, health problems, insufficient sleep and household chores.
The survey also focused on how the public relieves stress. Going for a walk came out on top as the most popular method of stress relief, cited by over a third of those asked. Other individuals preferred exercise or distracting themselves by watching television, listening to music or curling up with a good book.
It’s Important To Keep An Eye On Our Stress Levels
Sarah Bolt, the founder of Forth With Life, said: “It is vital that we keep a handle on our stress levels. Naturally, high-pressure situations come and go, but it can have a lasting effect on our physical and mental health. When we feel stressed a hormone called cortisol is released by the body. If this happens too often our body can no longer respond to stress and we start to feel enormously fatigued.
“Stress can exacerbate heart problems, respiratory conditions and digestive issues to name just a few, and can even cause ongoing muscle tension which may lead to a higher likelihood of injury during physical exertion. Mental wellbeing can very easily fall victim too, with the likes of anxiety and depression spiralling to extremely unhealthy levels during stressful periods.
“Day-to-day, being distracted by stress can have disastrous results – affecting our social lives and relationships, our productivity at work and even our personal safety. For that reason, we should be more aware of our internal health. By understanding our body and gaining scientific data on key biomarkers such as cortisol can help us make the right changes to our lifestyle.”
Richard Daniel Curtis, behaviour expert and CEO of The Mentoring School commented on the results:
“The modern world is incredibly stressful and technology contributes to that. It is important that people spend time looking after the wellbeing. This includes having a tech-free hour several times a week and also doing activities that relax you.
“There is an effect which can cause the body to ‘normalise’ increased levels of stress when experienced over time. This causes the individual to seek things that maintain them at this elevated level, even when they try to relax. An example would be spending all weekend, or the first few days of a holiday, checking work emails. Regular relaxation time will help to combat this normalisation of increased levels of stress.
* One Poll interviewed 2,000 UK adults aged 18 and over between 10th and 18th of January 2018. The full report featuring all the data can be found here: Stress Statistics 2018
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